THE PRODUCTION OF PINK SAUERKRAUT BY 



YEASTS' 



E. B. FRED AND W. H. PETERSON 



From the Departments of Agrictdtural Bacteriology and Agricultural Chemistry, 

 University of Wiscortsin, Madison 



Received for publication June 25, 1921 



Sauerkraut, or sour cabbage as it is sometimes called, is ob- 

 tained by the acid fermentation of cabbage. The process of 

 fermentation and manufacture is simple and the resulting pro- 

 duct is greatly relished by many people. Some idea of the im- 

 portance of this method of preserving cabbage may be seen from 

 a glance at the sauerkraut industry in Wisconsin. In this 

 state alone more than 36,000,000 pounds of sauerkraut are manu- 

 factured annually, in addition to that prepared in small quanti- 

 ties in innumerable households. 



Normal sauerkraut has a distinctly acid reaction and a faint 

 pleasant aroma. The shredded cabbage after it has turned into 

 kraut loses some of its toughness, but should still retain a com- 

 paratively firm texture ; the white color tends to lose its opaque- 

 ness and the cabbage becomes sUghtly translucent. Kraut 

 with a strong odor and soft texture is of poor quaUty. 



The preservation of cabbage in the form of sauerkraut is 

 generally a result of natural fermentation. Clean white cabbage 

 is cut into shreds, salt is added, and the entire mass packed into a 

 vat and heavy weights are placed on top. In a few hours fermen- 

 tation begins and the sugars of the cabbage are rapidly converted 

 into lactic acid, acetic acid, alcohol, and small amounts of other 

 products. .Although many kinds of microorganisms may be 

 found in the juice of the kraut, the lactic acid bacteria are the most 

 important. 



• Published with the permission of the Director of the Wisconsin Agricultural 

 Experiment Station, 



257 



JODBNAI, OF BACTEBIOLOOT, VOL. VIl, NO. 2 



